Before we go any further, I have to say that you all crack me up! Here I go taking the time to write a thoughtful post on blogging numbers and then you all get riled up on my post about sports bras! This is why I love blogging as I do. I can write whatever my little heart desires so we have some fun…and still think a little too. Hint Hint: You just wait for the fun that’s coming your way around lunch time today. It’s a goody!

Last night we had another Grow Group session at church. Grow Group is basically a small group of twelve of us that meet together on a regular basis to share a meal and then dive into some discussion on our recent sermons to hopefully dig a little deeper and grow a little more in our faiths. It’s a fun time and does that thing of building relationships which you all know I love so much.

My friend Danielle who acts as the host of our group ran with the idea of a themed salad bar for last night’s dinner. This week’s theme = Santa Fe salads!!

Everyone contributed a couple different ingredients to help put together a great selection for a build your own Santa Fe salad. You know I chipped in some avocado and pineapple. Mmmm mmm mmm. It just wouldn’t be right without them getting invited to the party.

And a party it was with all the fabulous flavors.

Mixed greens, creamy avocado chunks, tomato, pineapple, corn, some cheddar cheese (still obsessed), and some red beans for protein. I used two heaping scoops of salsa as my dressing – one scoop of fresh black bean and corn salsa and one scoop of an artichoke garlic salsa. Mmmmm mmmmm. I lurve a good salad!

After getting food in our bellies, we finally got to the more in-depth discussion part of the night. You know we were talking up a storm while eating too, but part of the night is learning and growing with each other.

We’re studying the fruits of the spirit right now in our worship services and this week focused on patience. You know I don’t like getting all preachy up in here, but I think this topic is one we can ALL relate to so I figured why not touch on it a bit?

A few things stuck out to me in our convos that really hold such truth:

• We spend so much time hurrying from one part of life to the next that we can end up not fully living and allowing life to pass us by…missing the chance to notice our blessings and do the #1 thing we’re meant to do – LOVE!
• You have to practice patience! You can’t just expect to have it one day. You have to actively pay attention to what sets you off and then choose patience. Over and over again until it becomes more natural. <-- Have a feeling that is easier said than done!
• Have an attitude of understanding. A lot of our impatience comes from selfish desires. If we try to understand where someone else in the situation is coming from, we may gain an attitude of grace and more patience. Lord knows I have to practice that every time I’m around my father. He can get my teeth grinding in less than 5 seconds if I don’t remember he is his own person with his own “unique” qualities.

And lastly…this quote really struck a chord with me:

I have to be patient in so many goals I have for myself – being a good mother, making progress in my fitness, studying for personal training (Courtney – I know you relate!), and those goals I have for this little space on the ‘net. Hmmmm….I have a feeling God wants to teach me lessons in patience. He must know I need it!  

• What topping would you have to contribute to a Santa Fe or taco salad?
• What situation/person gets your blood boiling, making it harder to be patient?

I don’t lie when I say you can expect genuine honesty and realness when you come to this blog. I happily put it all out there. Perhaps I should get a filter for my click-a-clacking fingers that type whatever they fancy…but that would take the fun out things. So, here I am discussing the lady humps again.

You all may recall my participation in the Champion Shape Your Life blogger campaign. As part of that campaign, I received two different sports bras to review. And only I would manage to review two different sports bras while sporting two different cup-sizes. I’m a dang magician, I tell ya! Or a mother who went through the weaning process mid-program.

The first sports bra I tried out was the Champion Double Dry Spot Comfort bra. The bra claimed to have maximum support and that it was perfect for higher impact activities.

I put the bra to the true test and wore it on my ten mile run this past weekend. With the whole milk swollen, painful thing going on.

Champion did some good with this one. I give the bra an A+ in handling this D-sized situation. My run was bounce free with no chafing (yay moisture wicking qualities) and without feeling pinched and constricted in a too tight bra (my previous remedy to the bounce). It even has a clasp like a bra in the back so you can size it perfectly for your body. Nice.

This sports bra made me question everything about my firm belief I needed two sports bras to keep things under control. Nope. I just needed a sports bra that wasn’t 5+ years old. <—Sad truth.

Then, I broke out bra numero dos during my strength training workout on Tuesday. The Champion Double Dry Absolute Workout bra.

Or I guess we could call it Bra B – to represent my post-weaning bra size. This bra had medium support and is great for activities like group fitness classes, cardio time on the elliptical, hitting the weights, or if you don’t need to keep things under lock and key to prevent having your eye poked out during higher impact workouts. Plus, it’s cute.

So two bras – two reviews – two sizes. And a demonstration that I clearly don’t know what TMI means. What can I say? I like to research well.

• What things do you look for in a sports bra?
• Do you have any old workout clothes you still wear? How old?

The review in this post is sponsored by Champion and I received monetary compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own. I only ever participate in programs that I see naturally fit my blog and that allow for honest feedback.